Having lots of free time on your hands does make you ponder a lot. My self worth, how far i'll make it in life, what defines success, what if I had not done medicine, where would I be in a few years time, life partner musings, friends etc. it's a crazy hoard of things that can plaque ur mind.
Right now safe to say there isn't one big thing that's constantly in my head,but i've learnt a few lessons so far.
1. Always go to a friend for that piece of advice / to get an emotional boost. it makes a difference.
2. Pray in all circumstances.
3. The grass will always look greener on the other side, so quit the wishful thinking. eheh...
3. Be easy going n enjoy life as it is.
Just received the first letter from the public service telling me i'm accepted into government service. currently awaiting the second letter that would summon me to work after Raya.
Joining a trip to 2 villages to provide medical help and services this weekend. to be honest, it's a first for me. previously only been involved in running health screening booths in KL. hope it'll be an eye opener for me in many ways.
Thought I was starting to get spiritually dry but thankfully Hope Logos came :) bought a few books from it. really reasonably cheap! rm8/12/16 mostly. took a tour around the ship as well cz one of my life group members is a volunteer on board. our tour guide Sander from Netherlands told us that when they were sailing in the middle of the ocean at night, when u gaze at the stars in the pitch black sky, u get the feeling of being one of the Israelites in the desert star gazing in the night. :)) costs about rm2400 per month to volunteer on board and sail with them though. phps in future? hehe. but honestly am more interested to run health services for rural areas in future when resources are available :)
Had a gathering with my old church (Chin Fu methodist church) friends. it was pretty good and we havent seen one another for a good 6 yrs. thank you geu jung for bringing ev1 together! God has His amazing way of reconnecting ppl. :)
As working days approach, i feel a kind of tug deep inside me, telling me to spend the rest of the holidays really wisely. ahaha. just taking everyday slowly nw, enjoying the family time n improving my cooking skills lol :P
hope to be inspired in the trip this weekend!
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Good old local university offers
The announcement of local university offers lately didn't feel very relevant to me. It's been 5 years and I've completed my degree, In fact my degree is one that currently lacks demand in this country -if u're talking about a freshly graduated dr- with the overcrowding of training hospitals. (the lack of specialists on the other hand is another completely different area for discussion)
Still upon reading and hearing of news reports about stpm students with 4.0 cgpa not getting an offer of their choice for popular (and cut throat pocket bleeding expensive) courses in the local universities, I felt for them. of course i could never fairly say that I fully truly understand and feel their frustration, but I sympathize. Especially if their family socio economic background doesn't allow them to pursue their dream in a private university.
Sure, life goes on. They all have to eventually accept the uni offer and will probably end up being successful in the field they study. sure it's not a big deal anymore to study medicine/pharmacy/dentistry. But that's not the point. It still matters to that individual who has worked hard to earn his/her spot. And this experience does bring along with it possibly deep emotional scars. Appeals don't bring results all the time, and in the end they're forced into a state of acceptance. I can only wish them all the best and that their wound will heal leaving no scars and that they will find passion in whatever area they pursue.
On another note, if anyone would ask for my opinion on whether to take the STPM, my answer is, take it only if u have absolutely no place to go and have got nothing to lose. bcz it seems nowadays that even getting a 4.0 doesn't really get u anywhere. if u can afford private education, then thr's not much point to take it. if u managed to enter matriculation, grab it with all your heart bcz that seems to be the only key to getting a course of your choice. local uni is afterall really really cheap and on top of that, it's easy to get a gov scholarship upon acceptance to a local uni. yups. just my 2 cents.
On a random note, been listening to TED talks on youtube, and there are a couple of them which I think is really awesome.
1. How your body language can change your confidence level. it's not a boring motivational talk. it's research based and thr's background story to it that's inspiring. :) Click here
2. Skyscrapers can be made of wood Click here
3. Max Jobrani the comedian Click here
And recently a group of malaysian musicians joined the Youtube community as 4JC -they're 4 brothers, all with inititals being JC. pretty good mash-ups to listen to. proud cz they're msian. :) Click here (Their youtube channel)
Still upon reading and hearing of news reports about stpm students with 4.0 cgpa not getting an offer of their choice for popular (and cut throat pocket bleeding expensive) courses in the local universities, I felt for them. of course i could never fairly say that I fully truly understand and feel their frustration, but I sympathize. Especially if their family socio economic background doesn't allow them to pursue their dream in a private university.
Sure, life goes on. They all have to eventually accept the uni offer and will probably end up being successful in the field they study. sure it's not a big deal anymore to study medicine/pharmacy/dentistry. But that's not the point. It still matters to that individual who has worked hard to earn his/her spot. And this experience does bring along with it possibly deep emotional scars. Appeals don't bring results all the time, and in the end they're forced into a state of acceptance. I can only wish them all the best and that their wound will heal leaving no scars and that they will find passion in whatever area they pursue.
On another note, if anyone would ask for my opinion on whether to take the STPM, my answer is, take it only if u have absolutely no place to go and have got nothing to lose. bcz it seems nowadays that even getting a 4.0 doesn't really get u anywhere. if u can afford private education, then thr's not much point to take it. if u managed to enter matriculation, grab it with all your heart bcz that seems to be the only key to getting a course of your choice. local uni is afterall really really cheap and on top of that, it's easy to get a gov scholarship upon acceptance to a local uni. yups. just my 2 cents.
On a random note, been listening to TED talks on youtube, and there are a couple of them which I think is really awesome.
1. How your body language can change your confidence level. it's not a boring motivational talk. it's research based and thr's background story to it that's inspiring. :) Click here
2. Skyscrapers can be made of wood Click here
3. Max Jobrani the comedian Click here
And recently a group of malaysian musicians joined the Youtube community as 4JC -they're 4 brothers, all with inititals being JC. pretty good mash-ups to listen to. proud cz they're msian. :) Click here (Their youtube channel)
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Happiness
Things I love or were intrigued by during the trips up north to Krabi, up the highlands to Cameron and down south to Pontianak (no kidding. it's a big town in Kalimantan, Indonesia :P)
Was interesting talking to a Canadian who hopped on board the tut tut that took us kayaking. He shared with us his experience staying in a desert in Arab. wow. Met an australian couple over breakfast. cute! managed to snap a picture with them at the airport. they were heading for KL! :D
2. Thai food
Lava!! The first dish I tasted, green curry brought tears to my eyes.
So good and supermegaspicy even pei sun and shalisha threw in their towels.
Pineapple fried rice (CUTEST dish decor everrrr)
Tomyam (also lava worthy)
3. This trip forced the adventurous out of the indoor me
- 2 hour kayaking. partnered with Shali. we got caught and entangled?? in mangrove tree branches n tot we were going to die a dishonourable death. or rather from embarrassment. Arm muscle pain score 10/10 that night. STOP ARA - bilateral biceps, triceps. After dinner til the next morning. Gradual onset. severe persistent biting pain, aggravated by movement, not relieved by anything, even LOADS of steroid cream. associated with regret.
*no pictures cz too gung ho kayaking (and actually really just trying to keep up with the really fit ang mohs in the tour group)
- Mountain stair climbing - 1237 steps! we met a few solo travellers along the way up (at our self created resting pit stops) and formed a support group. xD all symptoms of a heart attack sort of came up by the time we were at 500. shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea. the view up there was great, though i did have higher expectations considering the lactic acid build up i endured to get there. by the time we got back down the mountain, our legs were trembling like jelly. Ice cold drinks (regardless the flavour) never felt SO GOOD. legs hurt when ascending n descending the stairs for the next 3 days. ><
- those 2 were the most hardcore ones we went through. did snorkelling as well, was nice, but thought Redang's corals were nicer. :)
4. funny friendly tour guide
Michelle was our snorkelling tour guide. felt that she did a great job. realised that it isn't easy for these tour guides to keep doing the same thing everyday yet still inject humour and fun into the trip for us. :)
5. cheap cocktails
Only rm4 per 500ml bottle. wow. super a lot of flavours to choose from. and cocktails at the cafes are about rm9. :D hehe.
6. Cutest dogs ever
our resort owner had 3 dogs, n interestingly each of them had very distinct personalities. Apologies for not having any idea of their breed. The white one's super friendly. His black friend (as in the other black coloured fur dog) is a scaredy cat while the brown one's ferocious.
2. Giant sweet strawberries
3. Super strawberry items!
4. Sweet corn
5. Scones and strawberry cheesecake from The Lord's Cafe (uh oh I forgot if it's at Brinchang or Tanah Rata)
what's left of the strawberry cheesecake b4 the photo was taken teehee
6. Drinking hot tea surrounded by a lush lanscape of rolling green (tea bushes). ideally without motion sickness after the arduous journey round n round the mountains. :P (note to self: ALWAYS take motion sickness pills)
7. The Mossy forest
the ground was soft, no creepy crawlies (cz they dont reach that altitude), cool weather. best jungle trekking ever. and, only 30 minutes (15 mins in and 15 mins out). felt like I was in a scene in LOTR.
8. Large colourful blooming flowers
*wistful sigh..
2. Of all the food i tried there, Chai Kueh is the absolute winner.
Cute small round ones with really thin translucent skin, comes with 4 types of filling (red bean, yam, mengkuang, chives) with deep fried garlic sprinkled all over. yummms.. (no picture. everyone was busy tucking in)
Others, also great are soto, Es Krim in a coconut with cincau and red bean, bakmie kepeting (crabmeat), nasi padang, banana fritters with chocolate n cheese (sinful to the max) and blended fruit juices. thr's avocado, ciku, and this desert called Es Teler that's a concoction of tropical fruits including ciku with i think coconut/condensed millk? hehe my apologies for possible inaccurate description. a tad too sweet but tasted good. :) fruity goodness.
3. Seeing children getting so excited over a simple game of rubberband and straw.
4. Seeing huge churches there.
5. The similarity in the traditional costumes of the Dayaks in Pontianak with the Dayaks back in Sarawak kindles a sort of feeling of closeness to the place. despite me being Chinese and not a Dayak. :)
The above are just brief summaries of the few trips I made during these holidays. Of course above all the food tasted and fun activities, enjoyed the company the most. Trips have a way of creating lots of memories for you to rmb your family and friends by. That said, a short trip to KL last weekend (for my gov interview) was really refreshing. was really x100 happy to meet everyone there again. amidst all that, many thoughts were generated throughout the holidays, inspired by these trips. maybe in another post. :)
It's worth considering these places for ur next trip ! :P
word of caution: In pontianak u need a car to get around and u need a fearless driver. hehe. you can get there via bus (8 hours) /plane (30mins) from Kuching.
KRABI!
1. Friendly foreignersWas interesting talking to a Canadian who hopped on board the tut tut that took us kayaking. He shared with us his experience staying in a desert in Arab. wow. Met an australian couple over breakfast. cute! managed to snap a picture with them at the airport. they were heading for KL! :D
Lava!! The first dish I tasted, green curry brought tears to my eyes.
So good and supermegaspicy even pei sun and shalisha threw in their towels.
Pineapple fried rice (CUTEST dish decor everrrr)
Tomyam (also lava worthy)
- 2 hour kayaking. partnered with Shali. we got caught and entangled?? in mangrove tree branches n tot we were going to die a dishonourable death. or rather from embarrassment. Arm muscle pain score 10/10 that night. STOP ARA - bilateral biceps, triceps. After dinner til the next morning. Gradual onset. severe persistent biting pain, aggravated by movement, not relieved by anything, even LOADS of steroid cream. associated with regret.
*no pictures cz too gung ho kayaking (and actually really just trying to keep up with the really fit ang mohs in the tour group)
- Mountain stair climbing - 1237 steps! we met a few solo travellers along the way up (at our self created resting pit stops) and formed a support group. xD all symptoms of a heart attack sort of came up by the time we were at 500. shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea. the view up there was great, though i did have higher expectations considering the lactic acid build up i endured to get there. by the time we got back down the mountain, our legs were trembling like jelly. Ice cold drinks (regardless the flavour) never felt SO GOOD. legs hurt when ascending n descending the stairs for the next 3 days. ><
 |
| the support group xD |
 |
| 1237 steps. thank goodness for this sign age to commemorate our perjuangan |
4. funny friendly tour guide
Michelle was our snorkelling tour guide. felt that she did a great job. realised that it isn't easy for these tour guides to keep doing the same thing everyday yet still inject humour and fun into the trip for us. :)
 |
| Note: ALWAYS buy a waterproof protector for ur phones (like the one Michelle has around her neck). Poor sun's phone died instantly after a splash of seawater. |
Only rm4 per 500ml bottle. wow. super a lot of flavours to choose from. and cocktails at the cafes are about rm9. :D hehe.
6. Cutest dogs ever
our resort owner had 3 dogs, n interestingly each of them had very distinct personalities. Apologies for not having any idea of their breed. The white one's super friendly. His black friend (as in the other black coloured fur dog) is a scaredy cat while the brown one's ferocious.
 |
| his name's Handsome. awwww |
CAMERON HIGHLANDS
1. Countless rounds of murderer and fun boardgames
2. Giant sweet strawberries
 |
| celebrated Lee Fang's bday. |
4. Sweet corn
5. Scones and strawberry cheesecake from The Lord's Cafe (uh oh I forgot if it's at Brinchang or Tanah Rata)
what's left of the strawberry cheesecake b4 the photo was taken teehee
6. Drinking hot tea surrounded by a lush lanscape of rolling green (tea bushes). ideally without motion sickness after the arduous journey round n round the mountains. :P (note to self: ALWAYS take motion sickness pills)
7. The Mossy forest
the ground was soft, no creepy crawlies (cz they dont reach that altitude), cool weather. best jungle trekking ever. and, only 30 minutes (15 mins in and 15 mins out). felt like I was in a scene in LOTR.
8. Large colourful blooming flowers
*wistful sigh..
PONTIANAK
1. Learning Indonesian language. bits n pieces :P mostly food related. hehe.2. Of all the food i tried there, Chai Kueh is the absolute winner.
Cute small round ones with really thin translucent skin, comes with 4 types of filling (red bean, yam, mengkuang, chives) with deep fried garlic sprinkled all over. yummms.. (no picture. everyone was busy tucking in)
Others, also great are soto, Es Krim in a coconut with cincau and red bean, bakmie kepeting (crabmeat), nasi padang, banana fritters with chocolate n cheese (sinful to the max) and blended fruit juices. thr's avocado, ciku, and this desert called Es Teler that's a concoction of tropical fruits including ciku with i think coconut/condensed millk? hehe my apologies for possible inaccurate description. a tad too sweet but tasted good. :) fruity goodness.
 |
| Es Teler |
 |
| Bakmie Kepeting |
 |
| Ciku juice |
4. Seeing huge churches there.
5. The similarity in the traditional costumes of the Dayaks in Pontianak with the Dayaks back in Sarawak kindles a sort of feeling of closeness to the place. despite me being Chinese and not a Dayak. :)
The above are just brief summaries of the few trips I made during these holidays. Of course above all the food tasted and fun activities, enjoyed the company the most. Trips have a way of creating lots of memories for you to rmb your family and friends by. That said, a short trip to KL last weekend (for my gov interview) was really refreshing. was really x100 happy to meet everyone there again. amidst all that, many thoughts were generated throughout the holidays, inspired by these trips. maybe in another post. :)
It's worth considering these places for ur next trip ! :P
word of caution: In pontianak u need a car to get around and u need a fearless driver. hehe. you can get there via bus (8 hours) /plane (30mins) from Kuching.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
It's Not Really Farewell perhaps :)
Going back to Kuching tmr.
Leaving KL sure brings back memories from the first day I stepped into UKM 5 years ago. Transitions, exodus and growing up. And here I am, leaving this place I used to unwillingly call my second home but finally admitting it's my second home when it's time to leave. Yeps, I know this is just temporary. Time's gonna fly and I'll be back in either no time, or off to another place to call a third home.
My life group members gave me a surprise farewell of craziness today. When my grandbuddy accidentally bocor-ed about the surprise gathering, I thought, haha okay good I'll get to meet this cute bunch of ppl before I leave and I'll just act surprised. Lo behold, was I surprised (for real). 2 ppl multiplied into 6 - ching ching, ai jing, alisa, alain, jason and david. There were balloons??! a scroll tied with rafia string,
a wild goose chase around midvalley. when I thought it was over, 2 more gifts popped up, alex and yim fong appeared, and william walked in the door. mind boggling mysteries. xP what more can I say? Thanks a million u guys!! xoxo.
I entered first year as a Sunday christian and disliked long services and long hours in church. I didn't understand why there had to be so many meetings and cell group and so many activities. Hope church's a dynamic church with lots of training and outreach and you never run out of activities to go to. the group of brothers and sisters continued to follow up and care for me (thanks for not giving up on me) and eventually one day I realised I had been abandoning God, putting Him second, if not third or fourth in priority in my life. It took several downfalls to open my eyes and finally in my second year I came to capture the value of living life for Him. This group of brothers and sisters helped me grow, was there with me in the ups and downs, prayed for me, shared my joy and pain and watched me mature in my walk with God. I became a member in the church, started getting involved in LCD ministry, and got involved in life group planning. Got a sheep, involved in missions to Kuantan and earlier this year became a life group leader.
Today I leave Hope KL with a mission to support more life groups, join and support local churches through mission trips and to grow more in my understanding of God's word, improve my music skills and to equip myself in as many areas as I can before and as I enter the working world. The past 5 years have taught me to love and care for others as people have for me. Through their life examples, my leaders taught me true faith and selflessness. I stand in awe of their humility and love for God and His people.
Medical school was an adventure with it's ups and downs. More like a hilly ride of craziness. with a mixture of fun trips abroad, research, debate and elective :P I used to think I had only myself to depend on in tough situations. Trudging back to my room stressed, thinking of all the things i have yet to study, patients I have yet to cover, case reports I have yet to write. And later on I realised, no I'm not alone. God's there to lift me up, for me to depend on. The more I depended on God, the smoother things went. It definitely helped me stay calm and joyful in more circumstances. Thank you Lord.
I have made really awesome friends who have become my family here. I love you guys and girls to bits. You know who you are. beams. seriously where else am I to find people as lovable as you all. :)
I'm going home with lots of sweet memories packed up and stored in my reliable hard drive. A mixture of feelings and many happy thoughts, knowing that more adventures are in store. Till we meet again dearies. xoxo.
Starting first year with VC cup- the KTSN team
The UKM royals 2008 team
Celebrating my bday at Uncle Duck's steamboat in 1st year
Getting 3rd place in EAMSC 2010, KL with hau wei, lip leong and juin yi.
Leaving the KTSN life group at the end of Year 2, off to Cheras HUKM
Celebrating Chui Ung's bday in B9400 in 3rd year
EAMSC 2011 in Bangkok. Earned first place for our paper on teenage pregnancy in Malaysia.
One month elective in taiwan - the Taroko national park
Visiting Jason's place in Puchong
LaVazza at Viva Home, Cheras in 5th year
Petrus's farewell in 2012
Graduation dinner in 5th year after the finals
Debaters getaway to cameron after graduation.
There's so much I can't put everything into words. Cheers to more adventures!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
It might be the end, but it's beautiful. :)
yups. this was coming. :P the sentimental reflective writing that's gonna come out when farewell's imminent. Before I start packing my bags, I have to do some justice to the amazing 5 yrs I've had by writing all these down. :)
Results were announced in the auditorium this morning. 226 of us made it! Freshly graduated Doctors from UKM. Just feel honoured to have shared the past 5 years with an amazing bunch of people. To be honest, I can't bring myself to pack my bags, knowing that things are never going to be the same from here. New chapter, new challenges, new friends. Darn, getting emotional writing this.
The past 5 yrs have been an adventurous ride. I can say I come out of it different, if not more solidified, mature and knowledgeable. (thank goodness lol, it'd be a disaster if i didn't)
1. Crazy friends who rock my world.
2. Inspiring lecturers. some really handsome ones. grins. and a Dean who rocks the guitar! Prof Raymond.... swoons......
3. Strategic and really comfortable air-conned Hospital UKM.
4. Cell group friends and my shepherds who keep me growing in my journey as a Christian.
How can I not miss that?
There're far too many memories of this place I've called home and with the family I have here. Definitely will be one of my best days in many years to come.
I love you UKM. I love you beloved batchmates, housemates. muah muah muah xoxoxo
Breathe in, breathe out. Time to start a new chapter of life. Gonna partay, kick off my shoes, scream my lungs out and take in the wonders of the world for the next 2 months, then, put on the white coat (germ free hopefully? :P) and badge that carries the responsibility of human lives for the many decades to come. After several years, I've dare say found my purpose in life. To serve God in the marketplace in the healthcare system. Looking forward to learn more and experience greater things. Working world, here I come. Fellow Doctors, I'm coming to join you all...! aiyyyeeeee! xD i mean, wheeee! i mean, Hi :) yes I am sensible. :P
In the meantime, I gotta figure out how to pack my things back to Kuching xP go home to vote! then enjoy a trip to Krabi and Cameron with some great company, and then head back home to spend time with the family. :) Thanks mum and dad.
Results were announced in the auditorium this morning. 226 of us made it! Freshly graduated Doctors from UKM. Just feel honoured to have shared the past 5 years with an amazing bunch of people. To be honest, I can't bring myself to pack my bags, knowing that things are never going to be the same from here. New chapter, new challenges, new friends. Darn, getting emotional writing this.
The past 5 yrs have been an adventurous ride. I can say I come out of it different, if not more solidified, mature and knowledgeable. (thank goodness lol, it'd be a disaster if i didn't)
1. Crazy friends who rock my world.
2. Inspiring lecturers. some really handsome ones. grins. and a Dean who rocks the guitar! Prof Raymond.... swoons......
3. Strategic and really comfortable air-conned Hospital UKM.
4. Cell group friends and my shepherds who keep me growing in my journey as a Christian.
How can I not miss that?
There're far too many memories of this place I've called home and with the family I have here. Definitely will be one of my best days in many years to come.
I love you UKM. I love you beloved batchmates, housemates. muah muah muah xoxoxo
Breathe in, breathe out. Time to start a new chapter of life. Gonna partay, kick off my shoes, scream my lungs out and take in the wonders of the world for the next 2 months, then, put on the white coat (germ free hopefully? :P) and badge that carries the responsibility of human lives for the many decades to come. After several years, I've dare say found my purpose in life. To serve God in the marketplace in the healthcare system. Looking forward to learn more and experience greater things. Working world, here I come. Fellow Doctors, I'm coming to join you all...! aiyyyeeeee! xD i mean, wheeee! i mean, Hi :) yes I am sensible. :P
In the meantime, I gotta figure out how to pack my things back to Kuching xP go home to vote! then enjoy a trip to Krabi and Cameron with some great company, and then head back home to spend time with the family. :) Thanks mum and dad.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
And... it's still not over! but it will be soon.
So.... the first week of theory papers are over. *Sigh of relief...............
Stress level for the past month was
High--> Mild --> Moderate --> High --> Super high before my 1st paper OSCE --> High after OSCE (cz a lot of tembak-ing involved) --> Super high during Medical essay ppr --> Cooled down a little throughout wed, thursday --> Went up again Fri morning thinking about next week's clinical exam --> Sat for the LAST theory paper --> Stress went down to ZERO (woots!!!) watching The Croods to destress (laughed my head off and even cried it's a super awesome cartoon seriously) --> Stress is back up to High tonight (in anticipation and preparation for clinical exam on tuesday).
conclusion: crazy past 1 month
I thank God for pulling me through the first week. I'm depending on Him to pull me through Tuesday as well.
I thank God for sending ppl to help me along the way.
All the best to all you guys and girls. We're in this together and we will make it <3 p="" xoxo.="">
Stress level for the past month was
High--> Mild --> Moderate --> High --> Super high before my 1st paper OSCE --> High after OSCE (cz a lot of tembak-ing involved) --> Super high during Medical essay ppr --> Cooled down a little throughout wed, thursday --> Went up again Fri morning thinking about next week's clinical exam --> Sat for the LAST theory paper --> Stress went down to ZERO (woots!!!) watching The Croods to destress (laughed my head off and even cried it's a super awesome cartoon seriously) --> Stress is back up to High tonight (in anticipation and preparation for clinical exam on tuesday).
conclusion: crazy past 1 month
I thank God for pulling me through the first week. I'm depending on Him to pull me through Tuesday as well.
I thank God for sending ppl to help me along the way.
All the best to all you guys and girls. We're in this together and we will make it <3 p="" xoxo.="">
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